Volunteering in schools a tough ask of parents, but there's a smart way to do it

Volunteering in schools a tough ask of parents, but there's a smart way to do it

Updated 7 December 2017, 22:45 AEDT

By Belinda Moore

Schools lose out on potential volunteers because they focus on on the wrong thing, writes Belinda Moore.

A request to bake more cupcakes may not elicit the response you'd hoped for. (Credit: ABC)

Sitting in a class room surrounded by other parents I was appalled by the list of chores we were being given.

As a full-time working mum of four children, my free time is already limited to how long I can stay locked in the toilet before my 3-year-old grabs his chair and tries to break the door down.

So, I asked two simple questions.

"What are we raising the money for?" and "How much do we need?"

The money was needed for classroom supplies and they hoped to raise $4,500. I looked around the room and did some quick calculations. At 50 parents that was only $90 per head. Time for another question.

"Who's up for putting in $90 each so we don't need to undertake any fundraising activities this year?"

The show of hands was unanimous. The teachers got their cash and the parents got a year's reprieve from time-consuming fundraising activities that often generate less income than they cost.

Here are some things worth considering before placing the extra demands of volunteering on parents.

1. Parents should be involved in their kids' schools.

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for parents coming together in the spirit of creating a school community that fosters a positive educational experience for our children. But spending $100 on ingredients to bake cupcakes sell for $30 at the cake stall doesn't achieve that — or anything else for that matter.

If you are going to make me part with my hard-earned time or cash you'd better give me a very good reason.

2. People will happily volunteer — if you give them a good reason.

The outpouring of community assistance in times of disaster, and the ongoing support shown to charities, is proof that people are willing to volunteer if they consider their efforts will produce a tangible positive result.

But the motivation to volunteer (whether time or money) declines when people don't believe their efforts will contribute to a meaningful outcome.

Schools lose out on potential volunteers because they focus on the task (yet another bake sale) rather than the reason for the task (we are seeking to raise $25,000 to buy a new jungle gym to replace the one that is rapidly becoming unsafe).

3. You need to understand their reason for volunteering.

Schools also lose out on volunteers because they don't understand what motivates someone to volunteer.

Schools often assume that parents are motivated by "because it will benefit your child" but there are other reasons parents volunteer, such as:

They are altruistically inclined;

They like the social aspect;

They like the status that comes from being seen to volunteer;

They want to exert influence over the school; and

They are a power mad despot who wants to bring all the other parents under their maniacal control as part of their first step towards total world domination (or maybe that's just me).

When you understand what motivates people you can develop compelling communications that truly resonate with parents.

For example, when a school is seeking $25,000 in funds for a new jungle gym, a parent may be motivated to donate by the fact all donors will be recognised on a commemorative plaque.

4. Ad-hoc volunteering is the critical segue between an uninvolved and involved parent.

Potential volunteers are also lost when schools only promote the long-term volunteering roles — like sitting on the P&C Board.

Asking an uninvolved parent to sit on the P&C is like asking someone to marry you on a first date. In both cases the person doesn't know you well enough to commit to a long-term relationship, and he or she is far more likely to (very sensibly) run away from the crazy person in front of him or her.

If you invite me to sit on a P&C board whose monthly meeting starts at 6.30pm, don't expect a positive answer.

That time, 6.30pm, is bedtime in our household. We are a mad flurry of baths, books, bum wiping, and expert level bedtime delay tactics.

My 7-year-old can extend bedtime with Olympic level skill. And after a hard day at work, it is a few precious moments where I have the undivided attention of my children, and I don't give that up easily.

I would have to be deeply emotionally involved in a project the P&C was working on to make that kind of regular commitment.

And I'm not alone in my opinion.

Research has shown that the best way to generate a pool of passionate volunteers is to create ad-hoc volunteering opportunities (short term, one-off tasks) that give parents the opportunity to get to know the other parents and the school better.

The more ad-hoc volunteering opportunities a parent undertakes, the more emotionally connected they become. Once they feel an emotional connection they are more likely to consider more involved, longer term roles.

Ad hoc volunteering the critical segue between an uninvolved and an involved parent which makes how it is managed incredibly important.

5. Time is more valuable than money

Even with the best ad-hoc volunteering opportunities in the world there are still a significant number of parents who will never volunteer. This is because our lives have become increasingly busy, to the point where time is more valuable than money.

This means there are many parents who would prefer to give money instead of time. This group will only volunteer their time where they believe their assistance will generate a result that couldn't be achieved otherwise. For example, a parent may have a legal skill and be asked to review a document. They will often respond only to a request made directly to them.

This potentially lucrative group is often overlooked as schools focus on the physical volunteering aspect without also asking for a cash donation.

To make requests for volunteers more effective schools need to adapt their "ask" by:

Offering parents the opportunity to contribute cash instead of time. Before jumping into fundraising or sponsorship try first asking parents for the money. This could be a simple email to all parents outlining the situation and asking for assistance. It doesn't hurt to throw in the "threat" of being asked to volunteer, and a little bit of humour.

Articulating volunteering opportunities in terms of the time commitment required.

Creating processes for routine decisions to be made quickly between meetings. This speeds up the decision-making process and ensures face-to-face meetings deal are focused on discussions that truly require in-person input.

Enabling people to dial into meetings remotely so they can still participate. This could even be the ability to dial in to specific discussions at the meeting.

Creating opportunities where the volunteer is only "activated" when a need arises. A great example of this is a giving circle. A giving circle is a network of altruistic parents who are prepared to support other families in the school community. When someone at the school identifies a student in need (eg: a teacher alerts the circle that a child has no money for school uniforms), the circle is activated and works to provide the required support.

Providing opportunities for people to volunteer remotely at a time that is convenient to the parent (eg: maintaining the Facebook page).

Most parents love their kids dearly and would do anything to ensure they have the best possible start in life. So, in theory, getting volunteers should be easy.

But I've got lots of ways to achieve that goal available to me. So, if you are asking me to give up my free time or cash, you need to clearly communicate how my contribution will help achieve that goal. Then I'll be there with bells on.

Belinda Moore is a membership specialist who tweets from @membershipgeek, and a parent.

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